Torch of Will

Chapter Nine - Stability

      The newly adopted child of the Dreemurrs groaned as she laid on the couch. Slinging her arm over her face, she tried to doze off, but her mind rushed through every thought. It was the dreaded adrenaline, in which she was cursed to stay awake with visions of today poking at her every second. 

She never thought that numbers could give her so much trouble...even the poems weren't this much of a bitch! But it ALWAYS had to be math that screwed her over!

"Ugh...I'm starting to regret going to school..." Maybe one day, Ryan would actually help her with Algebra. She didn't have much money...but she could pay...another way?

Gold. The currency of the Underground. She had much of it from leaving the Underground, and she was hoping that maybe he would accept it.

...what? Of course I was still on the topic of goods. If you're thinking she was gonna pay with "services", then keep in mind this is rated T.

Trapped between the space between 'too tired to stay awake' and 'too stressed to sleep', she decided to at least suffer with family. Standing up, she stretched her back, looking around the area.

The living room was spacious. That allowed for sound to echo through the room like droplets in a cave. So when she heard the sound of her goat brother flipping the page of a book, a smile reigned on her face once more. Approaching the entranced Asriel, she clapped her hands loudly, and Asriel had a taste of what Ryan felt like when he slams his lunch on the table. A loud bleat sounded, and he nearly jumped up on the table.

"FRISK!" He snapped, and the human in question was laughing and holding her stomach. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"

She was unaffected by the outburst and kept up her uncontrollable giggling. "Ahaha~! I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep-"

The prince looked at her face, his expression a mix of a deadpan and concern. "Another nightmare, Frisky-Bits?"

Her giggles stopped immediately, and the atmosphere suddenly became extremely dense. She suddenly flashed back to...that place. The hall. The void...the way those eyes gazed deep into her Soul as that crazed laugh echoed throughout her.

'SINCE WHEN WERE YOU IN CONTROL?'

'Kids like you...should be burning in hell.'

"FRISK!"

She shook herself out of her facade, and buried the deep unrelenting fear back into her system. Her usual smile returned to her face. "Nah, not this time, Azzy! Just too bored, ya know?" 

...hah...it seemed real enough. No matter...no matter how many nightmares she faced, it was over, right?

...one could only hope for their sins to be shaken off their back.

He groaned and planted his face in the book. "That's no excuse to do that..."

"Nuh uh~ If I'm suffering, you're suffering with me!" she teased, sticking out her tongue. 

In retaliation, Asriel locked his arm around Frisk and racked his fist over her head, to which she squeaked and tried to wriggle out.

 Through the grumbling of her brother, Frisk look over her shoulder, and saw the open page. She furrowed her brows at the text. "...Azzy...?"

His annoyance died down once he saw what she was looking at, and he sighed. "...yeah..." He returned to his seat and went back to where he left off. "...just...connecting things."

She tilted her head, then tried to read closely, only for her brother to gently push her away. "It's fine..." he said with a tone that contradicted his words. "I'm just...making sure of some things." 

...he was a terrible liar. Maybe it was because out of all the Soul Traits he received from the Souls...Justice and Integrity showed up the most, besides the Determination itself.

...yes. The Souls...how long has it been since that day?

________________________________________________________________________________

The barrier was broken. Asriel Dreemurr kneeled on the ground as the power of six Human Souls and every Monster Soul in the entire Underground left him. He was crying silently, both out of guilt and relief. Seems as if he regained emotions for some time...but that smile was still on his face.

"...Frisk..." Her head snapped up at that. "I...have to go now."

...no.

"Without the power of everyone's Souls..."

No...no no no...